Was part of my Premium Sound Package - I've had Satellite on my 2004 and it was a requirement for me to have on my new X5; I like the integration into the stereo.

I've also streamed Pandora through my iPhone on trips (since my X5 missed the BMW Apps by a few months) and it works pretty well. I was grandfathered in on AT&T's unlimited data plan. I do have my Sirius App on my iPhone too and we use it and Pandora in the 325i as it never had Sirius b4.

FWIW: I had also read a recent article about the cost of text messages to cell phone carriers and it's a big rip off as well. This blurb mentions data plans too. From a recent Wall Street Journal article notably:

"Carriers, such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, charge fees ranging from 20 cents per text to $20 a month for unlimited texting. The texting business has low costs and high margins. A dollar of texting revenue produces at least 80 cents of profit compared with about 35 cents of profit from $1 in wireless data or voice services, according to analysts at UBS."

Have you looked at the radiotime app in the BMW apps iphone app or radiotime for android? Basically every radio station in the world is available to you. The variety is 5000 times Sirius.

I Love Howard Stern!!!! Everytime i got a car, i had Sirus installed.

I like Sirius and have the lifetime subscription. While you can get other stuff pumped into your car using your phone.... having Sirius is just so easy and always there.

If you plan to keep the car for 3.5 years... the subscription is paid for. I have had mine for over 4 years now and plan to keep it a while longer.

And if you sell the car.... it stays with the car. It CANNOT be moved to another radio. Sucks! But it is a selling point. Just be sure to charge enough to cover the cost for your new car. ha-ha

I had Sirius for many years. My 2011 is the first time I have bought a BMW without it since it was an option. Main reason was the sound quality, it is brutal for music. Second reason was the short playlists on most stations. Too much repetition.

I now listen to the HD alternates in town (including an awesome commercial free 80s station). I also listen to Pandora which sounds great at 192K.

Nobody "NEEDS" Sirius satellite radio. It's an issue of what someone may want. ;)

I hear what you are saying but like many others my phone is for calling and using as a phone and I am not a fan of having it in my center console. I know there are a lot of other options available to me and I guess I like the convenience of using the integrated approach. Equipment was here as part of premium sound so what the heck I might as well use it.

I agree 100% I literally get angry and then sad when I am in any car without it. I have had it for about 6 years and will continue to do so. Worth every penny, imo. Especially if you spend a lot of time in the car or take road trips.

I have it and bought the lifetime service. I especially like Sirius on road trips. I don't need it though, I just wanted it.

Chuck

I like the Sirius because I can get things like CNBC, and when traveling out West in the mountains it will work where my cellphone cannot get a signal.

I do wish the fidelity for music was a bit better though.